Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[BullChick]

I was so proud of what I accomplished yesterday. Was. For me, figuring out how to build and repair by myself is a challenge. So if what I'm about to crow (

I'm funny!) about is less than

please forgive me.
Having a feeling that Jaz was coming, I went outside mid-morning to get started on the big coop. The grass wasn't completely dry, but I didn't figure I had much time. I put the extra roost outside (roosts are wood planks on cinder blocks) and sprinkled Sevin on it. I refreshed the bedding, and sprinkled Sevin inside too. I added a 4X6 piece of wood to the end of the run. A landscaper weed whacked a big hole in the fence. The board was not only easier than re-fencing, it will act as a weather block.

I also fixed a gap in the wire on the roof. Then came the fun part! I had to raise and fix the run door. I raised and fixed it once already, but it would still drag on ice this ... "W" word, and the board I put on the bottom fell off. Getting the door to stay up where I wanted it wasn't as easy this time. I tried a million different things, and finally found a solution. With a paint scraper, cinder block and bungee cord, I got the stupid door on!

And I cursed my husband the whole time for leaving me.

No sooner had I gotten out of the shower (why I bothered showering before going out is beyond me!) then Jazlyn was here. Just for the night though.
LOL! I can't give her a paper cup because she knows she can crush it. I looked around for a small plastic cup, and came up with a sleeve of hard plastic shot glasses. I was laughing so hard as I handed Jazlyn her drink, that I snorted.

Today I cleaned the waterers, and rubber bowls, filled a milk jug, and even drained the garden hose. It's gonna be a long w*%&#r, and I'm gettin' ready!
I'll be letting the chickens out of the pen on Sunday, and I'm pretty sure they will head for their old coop. Especially Reba. She is the first to come running when I shake the scratch can.

 

[sophiap]

Hi Cheeka, many thanks for your response and instructions on picture uploads. Made all the difference! Here are pictures of the "girls" from yesterday. Any ideas on when they might start laying much appreciated!

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Hi sophiap! You did what I did, got a big variety of breeds. They're very pretty. Cheeka is the expert, but to my eye, The silver Wyandotte and barred Rock look pretty close. I couldn't see the gold Wyandotte well, but if her face is as red as the silver, she's getting close too.

 

[datschicks]

Hi Cheeka, many thanks for your response and instructions on picture uploads. Made all the difference! Here are pictures of the "girls" from yesterday. Any ideas on when they might start laying much appreciated!

they r not quit ready yet they r still pretty pink in the face and combs yet when there face and combs turn red they r real close to starting to lay mine r just now 20weeks day and I have been getting a few eggs a day for six days now

 

[BullChick]

Hi Cheeka, many thanks for your response and instructions on picture uploads. Made all the difference! Here are pictures of the "girls" from yesterday. Any ideas on when they might start laying much appreciated!

Nice looking flock!

 

[BullChick]

Apparently, thinking is not my strong point today!

Two years ago, and last spring I piled all the bedding into my burn pile. There was a LOT of bedding. It never burned more than a few inches down. This year, it was overgrown by weeds. The landscaper knocked the weeds down the best he could, and I have been trying to burn the pile down.
Here is where, if you are thinking about what I'm saying instead of just reading my story, you will be laughing. Did you figure it out? I sure didn't! I will continue.
Tonight I went out to rake the pile, hoping that adding dry burnable stuff into a hole would dry out and burn the bedding and whatever else was in the pile. So, I began to rake. "Hmm. Lots of dirt" I continued, and began finding the bricks that make up the wall. I realized after about five minutes that the bedding had turned to dirt as compost tends to do. Thus, why it hadn't been burning.

After raking a lot of nutrient rich soil into the grass, I thought, "well, the grass will be growing high here next year! And what a nice surround for the fire pit. Less chance of dry grass catching fire."
I did realize the weeds were out of control because of the fertilizer.
Now, almost two hours later, I realized something else. I had put all that bedding in a pile so that it would turn to dirt, and I could use it as a top layer in the garden. Now that so much of it has been raked into the grass, it is pretty much not going to be shoveled into the wheelbarrow and added to the garden.

I am truly an idiot.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

There's always next year, MC!

 

[sophiap]

Awesome MC! What a story! As W4W said there is always next year indeed!!! Thank you both and datschicks for the comments on my flock.


By the way I found a cool recipe that might be old news to everyone but news to me and sounds really cool. Its an egg recipe called Eggs In Clouds.Planning it for brunch the first Sunday I get eggs from my girls!

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1648906315362011

. I found it on Facebook and not sure if you can open it if you are not there. A version of that is also on utube

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Mmmm Yum. That looks good and not too hard.

Ugh, my cat is trying to eat a spider. I better go back and watch the eggy clouds video again!

 

[cheeka]

sophia, they are just beautiful! and your featured barred rock will be first to lay - that's my call, and within 2 weeks. the rest may keep you waiting until they are 26-28 weeks, we'll see because I want you to take more photos. I want closeups. profiles best when they are in the bath and very relaxed, like this one

this is Betty. she is 3.5 years old. started laying just before 24 weeks. her sister, Wilma waited til week 25. one of the RIR's laid first at 23 weeks, followed the next day by Blu, and EE, it was so exciting, I'll never forget... especially EE Isis, who made me wait a bit over 30 weeks... then I got the December chicks (all EE). for some reason, they were all laying by 18-19 weeks - completely unexpected and very confusing because I only had one blue egg layer and all of a sudden I was finding 3,4 or more blue eggs in one day...!
get some good closeups and I can make some surprising guesses...